or passing on in hope of transâ—ation to a better estate This word therefore the holy-ghost doth vse to signifie that a citizen of heauen is a pilgrim on earth and that his life here is a pilgrimage And so Peter calleth the time of our life the time of our pilgrimage And Iacob professeth that the daies of his pilgrimage meaning his life were few and euill And likewise Dauid I am a stranger saith he before thee and a pilgrim as all my forefathers were In a word it was the profession of all the faithfull That they were strangers and pilgrims vpon the earth Here therefore wee are taught so many as desire to be citisens of heauen to behaue our selues as pilgrims on the earth Who being exiles in a forraine land desire to come vnto our owne country He that hath a good patrimonie in his owne countrey great wealth kind and able kinred and friends and is forced for a time to sojourne in a strange land where he is ill intreated disturbed molested assailed by his enemies on euery side hee will affect nothing in that strange countrey neither will he set his heart vpon any thing there but his mind is vpon his countrey desiring nothing more than to returne thither But our countrey is in heauen where we haue an euerlasting inheritance an incorruptible and inestimable treasure where is God our heauenly father Christ our eldest brother and the rest of our brothers and sisters the Patriarchs Prophets Apostles Martyrs and all the quire of heauenly Saints and celestiall spirits and wee are pilgrims for a time here vpon earth where we are hated ill intreated assaulted with the temptations of Satan the world and the flesh subject to many inward infirmities and outward troubles And therefore it behooueth vs not to set our hearts on worldly things or to place our paradise vpon the earth For if our hearts be on the earth how is our treasure in heauen if the earth be our countrey how are we citizens of heauen Wherefore if we bee pilgrims in the world let vs not bee addicted to worldly desires let vs not mind earthly things but being wained from worldly cogitations let vs mind those things which be aboue Let vs vse the world as though we vsed it not and let vs be so affected towards earthly things as pilgrims and wayfaring men are toward such delights or commodities as they see in their journey or at their inne Which if they vse as meanes to further them in their journey yet they set not their hearts vpon them And yet assuredly our abode in this life in respect of our continuance in the mountaine of Gods holinesse is not so much as the time of our lodging or bait in an Inne Therefore howsoeuer such as be but earth-wormes doe crawle as it were vpon the earth and mind earthly things Yet must we remember that we are citisens of heauen and pilgrims on the earth Are wee pilgrims liuing as it were exiled from our celestiall countrey and heauenly father What ought wee then more feruently to desire than to be in our country and that this earthly Tabernacle of our body being dissolued wee might dwell in that habitation made without hands eternall in the heauens Are we such pilgrims as indeed desire to be in our countrey Let that then bee our chiefest care and indeuour to trauell into our countrey Let vs first seeke the kingdome of God and his righteousnesse and carefully vse the meanes of our saluation And let vs thinke that if wee bee pilgrims wee must also be wayfaring men Are we wayfaring men in this life then will wee vse hac vita vt via This life as a way and the things of this life as they may bee helpes vnto vs in this way Let vs make choise of the high and as it were the Kings way which leadeth vnto heauen the way of true faith and vnfained repentance Let vs insist and persist therein though it bee a narrow and an afflicted way Let vs walke before God in the duties of our lawfull callings and in those good workes which God hath prepared for vs. This is the way let vs walke therin Let vs not returne to our sinnes let vs not deâ—â—â—ne from the way of Gods commaundements either to the right hand or to the left let vs not stand at a stay nor looke backward with Lots wife and much lesse goe backward but with Paule let vs doe one thing forgetting that which is behind and striuing to that which is before let vs make on towards the marke vnto the price of the high calling of God in Iesus Christ knowing that whosoeuer perseuereth to the end he shall bee saued And this was the former part of the question concerning a true member of the Church militant which the holy ghost hath expressed in these wordes Who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle calling the Church militant the Tabernacle of God and teaching that hee which is an heire of the kingdome of heauen is a pilgrim on earth Now followeth the later part of the question which is concerning the member that shall bee of the Church triumphant and inheritour of the kingdome of heauen in these words Who shall dwell in the mountaine of thy holinesse The kingdome of heauen by a metonymy of the signe he calleth the mountaine of God For the mountaine of God was a type of the kingdome of heauen And this mountaine was either the land of Canaan which was a type of the coelestiall Canaan as it is said Exod. 15. Thou shalt plant them O Lord in the mountaine of thine inheritance in the place which thou hast made for thine habitation or else the mount Sion which elsewhere is called the mountaine of Gods holinesse and was a type of the heauenly Ierusalem or lastly the Mount Moriah where the Temple was placed which is somewhere called the mountaine of the congregation standing on the North part of Sion and is therefore called the holy mountaine because it was the place of the holy assemblies which the Lord sanctified for his habitation and for his worship and this alâ—â— was a type of the temple of God that is to say of heauen Whereas therefore heauen is called the mountaine of God it is a metonymy such as wee find elsewhere in the Psalmes I cried vnto the Lord and he heard me out of the mountaine of his holinesse that is heauen And thus the most interpret this place as namely among the Greekes Basil saith this mountaine doth signifie 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The supercelestiall religion which is euery way conspicuous and bright which some call Coelum Empyrium wherof the Apostle speaketh Heb. 12. Among the Latines P. Lombard in thy holy mountaine that is saith he In euerlasting blisse where is the vision of peace signified in the name Ierusalem and the supereminence or height of
charitie where none contendeth in fight but resteth in euerlasting peace Now heauen is called the mountaine of God for these causes First because it was figured by the mountaine of God euen as Christ is called our Passeouer Secondly because of the height thereof whereby it is eleuated farre aboue the earth For albeit in respect of vs who are now placed within the compasse of heauen and behold Comavam coeli superficiem as it were the inward roofe thereof it cannot so fitly be called a mountaine notwithstanding as it is the throne of God who sitteth on the globe of heauen as it were his throne and as it is the seat of the blessed spirits whose conuersation is in the highest heauen as it were in the top of an hill it is not vnfitly called the mountaine of God Vnto this mountaine if we should ascend but in thought as Scipio once did in his dreame and from thence should behold the earth we should easily contemne this inferiour world with the desires thereof For the whole globe of the earth together with the water which seemeth none so great vnto vs if we could see it from the highest heauens would appeare vnto vs like a mote in the sunne But if withall we felt the vnspeakable joyes of heauen and from thence should cast downe our eies vnto this valley of teares there to behold the vanities of vanities and nothing but vanitie in vexation of spirit as Salomon saith it cannot be expressed with how feruent a desire we should be inflamed to haue our habitation in heauen Peter when as hee was present in the transfiguration of Christ in the mount Thabor and had a tast of the heauenly glory he was straightway rauished therewith and desired greatly to remaine there Lord saith he it is good being here let vs make three Tabernacles c. Thirdly heauen is called a Mountaine because it is a safe place free from all hazard or possibilitie of danger where the blessed spirits dwell on high safe from all danger and feare of euill But heauen is not onely called the mountain of God but also the holy Mountaine or which is all one the Mountaine of his holinesse because it is sanctified by the presence of God For which cause Sion also and the mount Moriah are called the holy mountaine of God For where the Lord doth manifest his presence that is a holy place namely because of Gods presence sanctifying it But in the highest heauen the Lord doth principally manifest his presence and reueale his glory Wherefore if mount Thabor after the transfiguration of Christ there wrought and the presence and glory of God there manifested was for that cause called the holy mountaine how much more doth the highest heauen where Christ sitteth at the right hand of his father in majesty and glory deserue to be called the holy mountaine of God The Scriptures ascribe such holinesse to â—his mountaine of God as nothing may enter therein which is not holy Which must teach vs beloued to follow after holinesse without which we shall neuer see God Verely verely I say vnto you saith Christ our Sauiour except a man be borne of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdome of God Our abode in the mountaine of God is expressed in the word dwelling whereby two things are signified Perpetuitie Rest. Perpetuitie for there the children of God remaine not as pilgrims for a time but as citisens and heires for euer Whereupon the kingdome of heauen is also called an heauenly inheritance wherin are euerlasting habitations and an inheritance immortall and vndefiled that fadeth not away reserued in heauen for vs. I wil not stand to proue this point being the last article of our Creed coÌ„firmed by manifold testimonies of scripture which often mentioneth eternall life eternall saluation eternall kingdome let vs rather labor by all good meanes to make sure our calling and election to this eternall kingdome that the meditation therof may teach vs first to contemne in respect thereof the momentarie vanities of this present world accounting it more than madnesse if for the temporarie fruition of sinne wee shall depriue our selues of Gods presence where there is fulnesse of ioy and at whose right hand there are pleasures for euermore if for light and temporarie trifles we loose a superexcellent eternall weight of glorie in heauen Secondly with patience and comfort to run the race of afflictions set before vs looking vnto Iesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the ioy that was set before him endured the crosse and despised the shame and is set at the right hand of the throne of God For the and light afflictions of this life are not worthy the eternall weight of glorie that shall be reuealed which notwithstanding they procure vnto vs whiles we looke not on the things which are seene but on the things which are not seene For the things which are seene are temporall but the things which are not seene are eternall Againe the word dwelling importeth rest For there the children of God doe not wander as pilgrims neither are subject to any molestations but doe wholly rest from their labours And for that cause the kingdome of heauen is called the rest of God and as it were an eternall Sabboth In respect whereof the land of Canaan was a type of our heauenly countrey For as to the Israelits after they had for many yeares wandered as pilgrims through the desert the land of Canaan was the mountaine of their perpetuall habitation and rest euen so to vs after wee haue finished our pilgrimage through the desert of this world there remaineth an heauenly Canaan that Sabbatisme or rest of God which the Apostle testifieth is left to the people of God But as against those Israelites which after they were brought out of Aegypt and were in the way towards the land of promise by their infidelitie and contumacie prouoked God the Lord sware in his anger that they should neuer enter into his rest so shall it happen to so many of vs as professing our selues to bee redeemed out of the bondage of the spirituall Pharao shall notwithstanding neither truly beleeue in Christ nor repent of our sinnes but prouoke the Lord by our infidelitie and disobedience Wherefore as the holy ghost sayth To day if you shall heare his voice harden not your hearts as in the prouocation and as in the day of temptation in the wildernesse where your fathers tempted me c. to whom I sware in my wrath that they should not enter into my rest Let vs studie therefore to enter into that rest least any of vs fall after the same ensample of disobedience And let vs take heed least at any time there be in vs an euill heart of infidelitie to depart from the liuing God For the
calleth it Thou shalt loue thy neighbour as thy selfe Wherein all the precepts of righteousnes that is to say of the second Table are summarily contained And the rule of exercising this righteousnesse is that law of nature commended vnto vs by our Sauiour Christ Mâ—t. 7 Whatsoeuer you would that men should do to you euen so do you to them for this is the law and the prophets Which sentence is sayd so to haue pleased the Emperour Alexander Sâ—uerus that in his pallaces and publicke buildings he caused it to be written and engrauen and when he punished any man he caused this saying to be proclaimed by the crier Quod tibi non-vis alteri ne â—eceris Do not to another what thou wouldest not haue done to thy selfe Now the exercise or working of this righteousnesse is here made a note of the child of God For he doth not say he that can talke of righteousnesse nor he that delighteth to heare anoter man speake thereof nor he which professeth righteousnesse or maketh a pretence thereof but he that worketh righteousnesse shall dwell in the holy mountaine of God For there are some which can notably discourse of righteousnesse than whose life nothing is more vnjust And there are others who with Ezeâ—â—iels auditors delight to heare the Minister preaching of righteousnesse as if he were some skilfull Mulitian that hath a pleasant voyce but it is to heare onely and not to practise There be many also who with the Pharisies say and do not which professe righteousnesse but do not practise it Qui Curios simulant Bacchanalia vivunt But with the folly of these men the holy Ghost meeteth in diuerse places of the Scripture Mat. 7 Not euerie one that sayth Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen Rom. 2 Not the hearers of the Law are just before God but the doers of the Law shall be justified Iam. 1 Be ye doers of the word and not hearers onely deceiuing your selues c. Mat 5 Vnlesse your righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies who sayd and did not you shall not enter into the kingdome of heauen Wherefore brethren let no man deceiue you not he that heareth nor he that speaketh not he that professeth or prâ—tendeth but he that worketh righteousnesse he is righteous Neither is that to be omitted that the holy Ghost speaketh in the present tence thereby signifying a continuall act as Basill hath obserued Marke saith he the accuratnesse of the speech he doth not say who hath wrought but he which worketh For it is not one action that maketh a vertuous man but it behooueth a man in his whole life to keepe a constant course of well doing For Iustice is an habit induing a man with a perpetuall and constant will to do euery man right But here some will object The Scriptures testifie that there is not a righteous man vpon the earth Rom. 3. There is not a iust man no not one If therefore the righteous onely shall be saued and scarcely they as Peter saith How can any man liuing hope to be saued seeing there is not a just man vpon earth that doeth good and sinneth not as Salomon professeth I answer If we should be summoned before the Iudgement feate of Gods justice and the Lord should deale with vs summo iure according to extremitie exacting at our hands that full and perfect righteousnesse which is required in his law assuredly the Lord entring into judgement with vs no man liuing could be iustified But we must appeale from the judgement seat of Gods justice to the throne of his mercy and from the sentence of the Law concluding all vnder sinne to the sentence of the Gospell pronouncing all those that truly beleeue in Christ not just onely but also blessed that so being clothed with the righteousnesse of Christ by faith we may in him be justified though vnjust in our selues in respect of legall righteousnesse Now those which truly beleeue in Christ are sayed to be righteous two wayes before God by Faith that is by the righteousnesse of Christ apprehended by Faith before men by the fruits of Faith that is by righteousnesse inherent in vs and performed by vs. For those which beleeue in Christ their Faith is imputed vnto them for righteousnesse because they apprehending Christ who is our righteousnesse and by the same Faith being vnited vnto him his righteousnesse and obedience is imputed vnto them and accepted of God for them as if they had performed the same in their owne persons But they who are justified by the righteousnesse of Christ are also sanctified by his spirit regenerated and as it were created a new to good workes which God hath prepared for vs that we should walke in them For so soone as we are deliuered by Christ out of the bondage of sinne we become the seruants of righteousnesse That as in former times we gaue our members as seruants of sinne vnto vnrighteousnesse we should from henceforth giue them as seruants of righteousnesse vnto holinesse And howsoeuer the best obedience of the faithfull is but an imperfect obedience ioyned with manifold infirmities and wants and stained with diuerse corruptions wherewith they are infected and sinnes whereinto they fall in so much that Esay compareth the righteous works of the faithfull to menstruous clouts notwithstanding the Lord beholding them in Christ and accepting their will for the deed and sincere indeuour for the performance not onely themselues are termed righteous but are also said to worke righteousnesse And this working of righteousnesse the perfection whereof is not to be measured by the perfectnesse of the worke but by the vprightnesse of the will and sinceritie of the indeuour aspiring towards perfection is an vndoubted note of a true citisen of heauen who in this Psalme is described And that the Lord accepteth those for true members of the inuâ—sible Church who worke righteousnesse the Scriptures testifie In euery nation saith Peter he that seareth God and worketh righteousnesse is accepted of him And this is so vniuersall a note of the children of God and so proper vnto them that whosoeuer worketh righteousnesse he is truly said to be borne of God and he that worketh not righteousnes is not of God but of the diuell But as they that worke righteousnes are the seruants of God in the kingdom of grace so shall they raigne with him in the kingdome of glory For that which is said in the beginning of this Psalme That he which worketh righteousnesse shall rest in the mountaine of God and in the end That he shall neuer be remoued the same is coÌ„firmed by the holy ghost in other places of Scripture Esay 33 He that walkâ—th in righteousnes c. he shall dwell on high And Prou. 10
And this priuiledge doth so truly and properly belong to euery sound Christian as that to the holy ghost in this place it is one the same thing to be a sound Christian and to be such an one as shall neuer be remoued For when Dâ—uid had demanded Who shall soiourne in tby Tabernacle and who shall rest in thy holy hill that is Lord by what tokens may a sound Christian and heire of the kingdome of heauen be discerned The Lord maketh answere He that walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse and speaketh the truth which is in his heart c. he is a sound Christian and heire of the kingdome of heauen But he vseth not those words but in stead of them he vseth these to the same sence He shall neuer be remoued Whereupon it plainely followeth that euery vpright and sound Christian is such an one as shall neuer be remoued These words therefore affoord this most comfortable doctrine That the perseuerance consequently the saluation of the vpright of the righteous of the faithful and sound Christian is certaine And this truth is elsewhere in the Scriptures most plainely and plentifully taught as shal be shewed when my treatise of Perseuerance which I haue alreadie finished shall be thought fit to be published In the meane time let vs from this doctrine gather this vse That seeing it is the priuiledge of the vpright sound Christian neuer to be remoued we ought therfore by walking vprightly by exercising righteousnesse by speaking the truth from our hearts c. labour to make our calling and election sure for if we doe these things wee shall neuer fall FINIS The Faults escaped are thus to be corrected PAg. 8 lin 20. care p. 9. l. a fine 10. jagur in Mar. l. a f. 5. are p. 13. l. 1. region l. 15. concauam l. a f 10. now l. a f. 5. vanitie and p. 15. l. 18. 19. the short light p. 16. Marg. for Heb 6 11. â— Heb. 4. 11. p. 19. l. 12. Charitie p. 23. l. 10. foure are p. 24. l. 8. I said the p. 25. l. 2. make l. 11. with perfect righteousnes p. 27. Mar. l. 8. Be lo-leb valeb p. 40. l. 2. 3. Salomon p. 43. l. 22. for righteousnes r. vprightnes p. 59. l. a f. 6. p. 79. l. 16. 27. ingenuous p. 67. l. 15. fruits p. 69. l. 22. for vs. Profitable p. 70. l. a fâ— viâ— regni p. 71. l. a f. 8. care of well p. 72. l. 10. workes which in l. vlt. meere ciuile p. 73. l. 13. they are fained l. 11. bribe l. 23. but splendida l. a. f. 8. By this l. a. f. 6. of meere p. 74. l. 18. child of God p. 75. l. a. f. 10 in his heart p. 76. l. vlt. But yet p. 79. l 15. seuenthly herunto p. 80. l. 3. eightly if p. 90. l. a f. 13. pereundo quaerat p. 91. l. 17. and therefore a vice p. 93. l. 14. celebrate l. 18. serpents p 101. l. 21. we are freely p. 102. l. 7. Scripture l. 14. is the pr. p. 103. l. 12. premonished p. 117. l. 9. 10. to reuenge answered p. 121. l. 18 are not onely mal l. 24. peculier p. 125 l. 20. howsoeuer all p. 129. l. a. f. 5. indices p. 137. l. 12. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 â— 15. we haue p. 145 l. 18. implied in p. 146. Ma. l. a. f. 8. peierare p. 147. l. 9. 10. void and of p. 154. l. 5 by this p. 155. l. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 136. l. a. f. 5. whatsoeuer p. 159. col 2. l. 2. coÌ„modation p. 164. l. 7. contracts p. 166. l. 9. as belonging l. 19. thy default l. 22. quanti l. 26. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 167. l. 3. cause as it l. 12. certain or p. 170. l. vlt. of the drachmae p. 171. l. 10. diuerse rates l. 16. decunx l. 17. quincunx Mar. l. 5. sesquialtera l. 10. foeneratâ—rum haec p. 172. l. 9. Antoninus l. 11. helpe p. 179. l. 16. Rome made p. 180. l. 3. to giue 182. l. 11. restored p. 183. l. vlt. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 184. l. 8. thereof p. 186. l. 6. who making l. 12. twentie shillings l. 19. then in p. 187. l. 9. some few p. 191. l. 19. pro rata temporis p. 192. l. 22. Nubibus As p. 196. l. 7. excelsiue l. a f. 5. in hiphil p. 198 l. 7. 9. l. a f. 9. l. 199. l. 5. Nashah p. 203. l. 4. generally 207. l. 14. shal men p. 208. l. a f. 3 4. hostis p. 209. l. 22 would p. 216. l. 3 the Lord answereth he that p. 222. l. 22. because his p. 235. l. a f. 3. commuted p. 238. l. 15. of horses p. 244. l. 6. interusurium p. 252. l. 4 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 l. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 p. 259. Mar. l. 1. Epod. 2. p. 260. l. 11. wealthier p. 262. l. a. f. 4. trientes p. 263. l. 12. Alcoran p. 264. l. 16. forbidden p. 287. l. a. f. 3. brought p. 301. l. af 8. cariage Of p. 306. l. 2. secondly the lender p. 308. l. 22. but of other p. 310. l. 4. reuerend p. 311. l a f. 13. imprecation In Marg. l. 11. danisticum p. 313. l. a f. 9. 10. do not repent p. 314. l. a f. 12. all-sufficient p. 317. l. a f. 8. lesse p. 330. l. 4. acknowledged in the Scriptures to be no sinne p. 339. l. 10. and too p. 345. l. 18. n vsurie p. 350. l. 4. praemittimus Psal. 8â— 6. Exod. 22. 28. 2. Pet. 1. 10. 1. King 3. 6. Psal. 78. 71. 72. The Argument of the Psalme Mat 7. 21 22 23. The meaning of the words Ver. 1. 2. Chro. 3. 1. 2. Tim. 2. 19. The diuision 〈◊〉 the text Vers. 1. Esay 40. 22. Psal. 104. 2. Luke 16. 9. In Psal. 15. 2. Cor. 5. 1. 2. Pet. 1. 13 14. 1. Cor. 3. 16. 6. 19. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Col. 3. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 61. 5. c. Thâ— Church militant is the Tabernacle of God The first vse Iob. 7. 1. 1. Pet. 5. 8. Iob. 1. Gal. 5. 17. 1. Tim. 6. 1. Pet. 2. 11. 1. Cor. 7. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 1. Pet. 58. Eph. 6. 14 15 16 17. sam 4. 7. 1. Cor. 7. 31. Tit. 2. 12. Psal. 131. 2. Col. 3. 2. Gal. 5 24. Col. 3. 5. Rom 13. 14. The second vse 1. Cor. 10. 2. Chron. 3. 1. 5. 5. Heb. 11. 37 38. The third vse 1. Tim. 3. 15. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Eph. 2. 21. Apoc. 3. 12. 2. Thess. 2. 4. Exod. 25. 8. Leuit. 26. 12. 2. Cor. 6. 16. Esay 12. 6. Deut. 13. 14. Psal. 9. 12. 132. 13. Apoc. 2. 1. Deut. 20. 3. Deuâ— 9. 3. Deut. 6. 15. Deut. 23. 14. God more especially present in the assemblies of the Church Mat. 18. 20. Gen. 4. 15. Psal. 27. 4. Psal. 42. 1. 2. 4. Psal. 84. 1 2. c
Catholicke or vniuersall Church For the Tabernacle signifieth the Church militant vpon earth the holy Mountaine the Church triumphant in heauen By sojourning in the Tabernacle is vnderstood the short and transitorie abode of Christians as it were pilgrims in the earth as in a strange land by dwelling in the Mountain of God is signified their perpetuall eternall rest in heauen as in their owne countrey Wherein the Prophet alludeth vnto that materiall Tabernacle which was called the Tabernacle of the assembly or congregation and to the mount Moriah where the Temple was placed the one whereof was a type of the Church militant vpon earth the other was a figure of the Church triumphant in heauen I am not ignorant that both members are by some expounded of the Church militant and by others of the Church triumphant but I follow that exposition which seemeth best to agree with the words and meaning of the holy ghost For the varietie of phrase plainely argueth diuersitie of matter sojourning in Gods Tabernacle being much different from dwelling in the Mountaine of his holinesse And the conclusion of the answere in the last words of the Psalme which without doubt doth render the true meaning of the question belongeth both to this life and to that which is to come He that doth these things shall not beremooued for euer that is he shall neither fall away from the grace of God in this life nor be excluded out of Gods glorious presence in the life to come The sence therefore and meaning of the question is this Lord thou searcher and trier of the hearts and reines of men who art acquainted with all secrets and best knowest who are thine for as much as there is so much vnsoundnesse and hipocrisie among them that professe thy name and frequent the places of thy worship that many deceiue others with a counterfeit shew and some beguile themselues with a false opinion of religion declare I beseech thee vnto thy Church some tokens and cognisances of a true and sound Christian whereby the sheepe may be discerned from the goats and the wheat from tares shew vs Lord who is a sound member of the Church militant here on earth and shal be an inheritor of glorie in the Church triumphant in heauen who is a true subject of thy kingdome of grace and shall be an heire of the kingdome of glory And this was the meaning of the question Now let vs come to the words of this text Wherein wee are to consider two things the parts of the question and the partie to whom it is propounded Of the parts wee are to speake first seuerally of either and then joyntly of both together The former part Lord who shall soiourne in thy Tabernacle By Tabernacle some as I said vnderstand heauen which elsewhere in the Scriptures is called Gods Tabernacle and not vnsitly seeing the Lord stretcheth out the heauens as a curtaine and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in But howsoeuer the name Tabernacles is sometimes figuratiuely vsed to signifie heauenly and euerlasting habitations Notwithstanding it more properly signifieth tents in warre and the flitting habitations of warfaring men And that by Tabernacle is here meant the Church militant the other word of soiourning doth import For heauenly Tabernacles are not tents to sojourne in but mansions of perpetuall habitation and euerlasting rest Basill by Tabernacle vnderstandeth our flesh which the Apostle calleth the â—arthly house of our Tabernacle for our bodies are not onely Tabernacles but Temples also of God As if this were the sence Lord who is he who hauing sojourned as a stranger in this flesh of ours shal at the length rest with thee in thine heauenly kingdome And surely the sence which he giueth is godly for it teacheth that those which shall for euer rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse do liue in this flesh as pilgrims and strangers mortifying their earthly members Notwithstanding his exposition is not fit For according to this interpretation the former part of the question containeth the answere to the latter for so hee sayth He that hath soiourned as a pilgrim in the flesh he shall dwell in the holy mountaine Most fitly therefore by Tabernacle we may vnderstand the Church militant which elsewhere is called the Tabernacle of God and sometimes the house sometimes the Temple of God For a Tabernacle is a militarie mansion and as it were a portable house which hath no fixed seat or setled place Now whereas the holy ghost calleth the Church of God a Tabernacle we learn first that the life of a Christian is a warfare as Iob saith wherein we are to fight against the enemies of our saluation which fight against our soules namely the flesh the world and the diuell Whereupon the Church of God vpon earth is called the Church militant It behooueth therefore euery one of vs that would bee esteemed a true member of the Church to behaue our selues as Christian souldiours fighting vnder the banner of Christ. And for as much as our aduersarie the Diuell goeth about like a roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuour and seeing the flesh lusteth against the spirit sending out of the heart as it were a furnace the sparkles of foolish and noisome lusts which fight against our soules and the world likewise partly by the desires thereof partly by bad examples carrieth vs away to embrace the world to mind earthly things to serue Mammon and to place our paradise here on the earth It behooueth vs therfore both to prepare our selues to this combat and therefore not to bee secure or to sleepe as others but to stand vpon our guard to be sober and vigilant and to arme our selues with that complete armour of God described Eph. 6. and also in the fight valiantly to encounter and constantly to withstand our spirituall enemies to resist the diuell and hee shall flie from vs with the shield of faith to quench his fierie darts and with the sword of the spirit which is the word of God to refell his assertions and repell his assentations So to vse the world that we doe not ouer-vse it so to possesse worldly things that we be not possessed of them but rather renouncing worldly lusts and being wained from worldly desires to meditate and mind heauenly things To crucifie the flesh with the lusts thereof and to mortifie our members which are on the earth liuing not according to the flesh but according to the spirit This warfare is to be entertained this warre is to be maintained of vs if we would be esteemed sound members of the Church militant who sojourning in the Tabernacle of God doe fight in his campe against our spirituall enemies But on the other side if we execute the workes of the diuell giuing our selues ouer vnto sinne and iniquitie if with Demas we embrace
vnfaithfull shall be excluded but so many as beleeue shall enter into that rest And as Iosua who also is called Iesus brought the Israelites into that rest so Christ the true Iesus and Sauiour of his people bringeth all those that beleeue in him into this eternall rest For he not onely died that hee might purchase by his bloud this rest for vs and ascended into heauen to prepare eternall mansions for vs but also when wee are to leaue this earthly Tabernacle of our bodies he sendeth his holy Angels to conuey our soules into the bosome of Abraham and to place them in this mountaine of God By that which hath beene said wee see what difference there is betwixt the Church militant on earth and triumphant in heauen For this is a Tabernacle of warre that a mountaine of peace In this we sojourne for a time as pilgrims from God or as the Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in that being remooued from the bodie we dwell with God or as the same Apostle speaketh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Here is trouble there is ease here is the valley of teares there is the kingdom of happines glory here is the combat and fight there is quiet perpetual rest here we are in our way there in our countrey Hitherto we haue spoken of the parts of this questiō seuerally now we are in a word to intreat of thē ioyntly together For both parts are to be vnderstood of one the same party or subiect out of which cōiunctiō we gather two things the first that those which shall dwell in the holy mountain do first sojourne in Gods Tabernacle the second that those which do here sojourne in the Tabernacle of God shal also rest in the mountain of his holines The former serueth for our instruction teaching vs that none shal be mēbers of the Church triumphant but those which haue bin mēbers of the Church militāt none shal be heires of heauē but those that haue bin pilgrims on earth All men desire to rest in the holy mountain of God but how few behaue thēselues as pilgrims in his Tabernacle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Basil such men are geason all desire with Balaam to die the death of the righteous but few do care to lead the life of the iust all desire glory but few do care for grace al are desirous of the end which is saluatiō but few are careful of the subordinat means The latter serueth for our consolation assuring vs that all the true mēbers of the Church militant shall be members of the Church triumphant that all the children of God as all the faithfull are be also heires of eternall life that those which are obedient subiects in the kingdome of grace shall be inheritors of the kingdome of glory that those who are pilgrimes on earth shall be citisens of heauen For this is the priuiledge of a true Christian noted in the end of the Psalme that being once in the state of grace he shall neuer be vtterly remoued Herein therefore the faithfull may solace themselues that although they are despised and abused in the world yet they are heires of eternall life and citizens of the kingdome of heauen And so much of the parts of the question now we are to consider of the party to whom it is propounded For as touching this most weightie question the Psalmist consulteth with the Lord the collector of his Church and the giuer of eternall life And there may two reasons be giuen why in this question he appealeth vnto the Lord. First because in determining this question we are not to stand to the iudgement of men but of God onely For mens iudgement whether they deliuer their opinion concerning others is very vncertaine or touching themselues it is many times deceitfull For as touching themselues how many are there especially in the Church of Rome who boast of the name of the Church and in comparison of themselues contemne all others as heretiques or schismatiques because they presume that they are in the Catholique Church obseruing the rites of their Church and beleeuing as their Church beleeueth when as in truth they are members of Antichrist and nothing lesse than the true members of the Catholicke and inuisible Church of Christ. And therefore no maruell if many who liue in the face of the true Church do falsly iudge themselues to be sound members of the same Neither are we to stand to mens iudgement concerning others For the iudgement of the vngodly is corrupt and of the godly vncertaine The wicked iudge the true members of the Church indeed to be the scum of the world and off-scouring of all things them they hate contemne persecute excommunicate either as impious or as hereticall euen as our Sauiour Christ hath foretold They shall excommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoeuer killeth you will thinke that he doth God good seruice The world doth loue her owne but hateth those which are Christs as our Sauiour sayth the world hateth them because they are not of the world euen as I am not of the world And againe if the world hateth you know that it hated me first if you were of the world assuredly the world would loue her owne But now because you are not of the world but I haue chosen you out of the world therefore the world doth hate you But the iudgement also of the godly concerning others is vncertaine For there is a twofold iudgement the judgement of Charitie Certaintie By the iudgement of Charitie◠the faithfull judge euery professed member of the visible Church when they speake of the particular persons to be a member of the inuisible elected called justified sanctified howbeit they know in generall that many are in the Church which be not of it and that many be called but few are chosen The judgement of Certaintie appertaineth only to God who onely is the searcher of the heart As the Prophet Ieremie sayth The heart is deceitfull and wicked aboue all things who can know it I the Lord search the heart and trie the reines that I may giue to euery man according to his wayes and according to the fruit of his workes Seeing therefore wee are to stand to the judgement of God and not of men let vs labour to approoue our selues not to men but to the Lord who trieth the heart Secondly the Prophet deuolueth this question to Gods judgement that we may vnderstand the answere which ensueth to be without exception as being the aunswere not of man but of God who best knoweth who are his who also in the end of the world shall separate the sheepe from the goates Whe◠〈…〉 let no man deceiue himselfe any longer either 〈…〉 title of the Church or with a faire shew of an outward profession c. but let him know this for a certaine truth as it were from the Oracle
of God That he is not such an one as shall either sojourne in the Tabernacle of God or dwell in his holy mountaine vnlesse the description of a sound Christian and citisen of heauen which is comprised in this answer of the Lord agree vnto him And of this answer we are now to speake For when as Dauid as if he had bene the high Priest standing before the propitiatory had consulted with the Oracle of God The Lord maketh aunswere as it were from betwixt the Cherubins therein fully satisfying his demaund For being demaunded who shall sojourne in the Tabernacle of God and rest in his holy mountaine He answereth That he which walketh vprightly and worketh righteousnesse c. shall neuer beremooued In which answere we are to consider two things the description of a sound Christian in the whole body of the Psalme and his priuiledge in the last words he that doth these things shall neuer beremooued The description consisteth wholly of the effects whereby the Lord would haue a true citisen of the kingdome of heauen to be tried and knowne as our Sauiour saith By their fruits you shall know them But here it may be demaunded first Why doth he not rather describe a sound member of the Church and heire of heauen by his faith or by the profession thereof seeing to faith the kingdome of heauen is promised and seeing also the profession of the true faith maketh one a member of the visible Church I answer because faith is an inward and hidden grace many deceiue both themselues and others by a profession of faith and therfore the holy ghost will haue euery mans faith to bee tried and known by the fruits thereof And howsoeuer eternall life be promised to faith and eternall damnation be threatned against infidelitie yet the sentence of saluation and condemnation shall be pronounced according to workes as the euidence of both Secondly it may be demaunded Why among all the fruits of faith which are almost innumerable he maketh choise of those duties which we owe to our brother especially considering that the duties which we owe immediatly to God are more principall wherein also consisteth our religion and pietie towards God As for example the true inuocation of the name of God the sincere profession of the faith the sauing hearing of the word c. Answ. We are to consider that this question is propounded of such as liuing in the visible Church would seeme to be religious making a profession of the faith hearing the word of God and calling vpon his name viz. which of them because all are not religious which would seeme to be so are indeed sound members of the Church and heires of heauen For of those which are openly prophane and doe not so much as make a semblance of religion there is no question to bee made For without question there is no place for such in the kingdome of heauen Now that wee may rightly discerne of those which professe religion who among them are sound who vnsound the markes and tokens are not to bee taken from the outward duties of Gods worship as prayer hearing of the word receiuing of the sacraments and much lesse the obseruation of humane traditions for all these things hypocrits also are accustomed to do but from the duties of charitie and righteousnesse which we owe to our brethren For the touchstone of pietie and true religion towards God is charitie towards our brother Herein saith Iohn are the children of God knowne and the children of the diuell whosoeuer doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither he that loueth not his brother Theâ—e is no man almost in the Church who will not affirme that he beleeueth in Christ that he loueth God that he is the disciple of Christ How then shall he be tried True faith worketh by loue and is to be manifested by workes without which it is to be judged dead The true loue of God must shew it selfe in the loue of our brother For if any man shall say that he loueth God and hateth his brother he is a lyar The true disciple of Christ is knowne by brotherly loue Hereby saith our Sauiour shall all men know you to be my disciples if you loue one another Now in the loue of our neighbour all the duties of the second Table are summarily comprised Let no man therefore so deceiue himselfe as to thinke that he is truly religious towards God if hee liue vnjustly or vncharitably among his neighbours For our religion towards God is to bee esteemed according to those fruits which appeare in our calling and conuersation with men For hereby according to the Scriptures is all our religion and pietie towards God to bee examined and tried And for this cause in describing a citizen of heauen he reckneth vp those duties which are to be exercised towards our brother that by them as it were certaine cognisances the true seruant of God may bee discerned from the slaue of the Diuell And so elsewhere in the Scriptures the like questions receiue not vnlike answers As Psal. 24. 3. 4. 6. Esay 33. 14. 15. 16. Hitherto I haue spoken of the description in generall now we are to descend to the seuerall parts and branches thereof of them some are generall others more speciall I call those generall which summarily comprise all the duties of a good man in the 2. verse namely that he be vpright in heart just in his deeds and true in his words The more speciall are contained in the rest of the Psalme whereby the child of God is described partly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by way of deniall that he slandereth not that he doth not euill vnto his neighbour that he receiueth not an ill report against him that he breaketh not his oath that he putteth not to vsury that he receiueth no rewards partly 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that hee contemneth the wicked and honoureth the godly And these specials may bee vnderstood as branches of the generall For he that is vpright is not partiall but behaueth himselfe towards men as they behaue themselues towards God honoring those that honor God and despising those that contemne the Lord. He that is iust is not iniurious to his neighbour neither is he an vsurer or briber He that loueth the truth he is true in his oath and promises he detesteth slandering both in himselfe and others hauing neither a tongue to vtter nor an eare to heare slaunders Or you may conceiue thus that a citizen of heauen is here described by ten notes whereof foure is affirmatiue signifying the vertues wherewith he is indued and six are negatiue signifying those speciall vices which hee is carefull to auoid Of these notes we are to speake in order The first whereof is Integrity or vprightnesse in these words He that walketh vprightly To walke in the Hebrew phrase signifieth either generally to liue to order a mans life or more
be saued Againe doth the holy ghost call any blessed that are not heires of the kingdome of heauen But the vpright are by the testimonie of the holy ghost happie and blessed Blessed are those that are vpright in their way Blessed are those in whose heart there is no guile that is hypocrisie And to this purpose belongeth that testimony of Salomon as Tremellius readeth the just man that walketh in his vprightnesse is blessed blessed are his children after him And yet the holy ghost is more plain in testifying this truth Prou. 28. 18. He that walketh vprightly shall be saued Psal. 140. 13. The vpright shall dwell in thy presence But most plaine Mat. 5. 8. Blessed are the pure in heart for so hee calleth the vpright for they shall see God they shall haue the vision of God and enjoy his glorious presence in the fruition whereof consisteth our eternall happinesse And therefore most fitly not onely in this place but elsewhere also in the Scriptures is Vprightnesse made the note and cognisance of the sonnes and heires of God For this cause Israel is called Ieschurun to signifie that whosoeuer is a true Israelite is vpright Iacob himselfe is commended for this vertue And of those that are pure in heart it is said Psal. 24 This is Iacob So Psal. 73 when the Prophet had said that God is good to Israel in the next words he expoundeth whom he meant by Israel namely the pure in heart So also our Sauiour Christ speaking of Nathaniel Behold saith he a true Israelite in whom there is no guile For as the Apostle saith he is not a Iew which is one outward but he is a Iew which is one within that is to say the vpright 3. Seeing then as we haue heard all that are vpright are citisens of heauen and contrariwise all that be citisens of heauen be vpright it behooueth vs diligently to trie and examine our selues whether this note doth belong vnto vs or not For vnlesse we be vpright wee shall not rest in Gods holy mountaine but must looke to haue our portion with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth To this purpose I will set down certaine signes and tokens whereby the vpright and the hypocrits may be discerned 1. And first the studie and endeuour of the vpright is to approue himselfe to God to walke before him to discharge a good conscience the testimonie wherof he greatly esteemeth and preferreth it to the judgements of men concerning himselfe On the other side the hypocrites care is to approue himselfe to men neglecting the testimony of his owne conscience and therefore those good things which he doth he doth to be seene of men and the euill which he omitteth he leaueth vndone least he should be seene of men for if men be not acquainted with his doings he neither careth to doe good nor feareth to doe euill 2. It is the propertie of vpright men to yeeld simple and absolute obedience to the word of God denying themselues their owne affections and reason but to obey humane precepts so farre forth as they are not repugnant to the law of God But it is the fashion of hypocrits to obey the commaundements of God so further than themselues thinke good as appeareth in the example of Saul and more strictly to obserue the traditions of men than the commaundements of God 3. A third signe of an vprightman is so to contemn the world and to be wained from worldly desires as that hee preferreth the keeping of a good conscience before the obtaining of any worldly desires knowing that it will not profit a man to gaine the whole world and to loose his owne soule For he that is not addicted to the world it is a good sign that he professeth religion not for worldly and by-respects But the hypocrits guise is to seeme religious and to be a wordling to professe religion and to mind earthly things to diuide himselfe betwixt God and Mammon to giue to God the outward shew to the world his heart not first and principally to seeke the kingdome of God his righteousnesse but to professe religion in a secondarie respect so farre forth as it jumpeth with the fruition of his worldly desires and consequently to preferre the gaine of the world before the keeping of a good conscience and to be ready to sinne that he may obtaine any worldly desire 4. The propertie of an vpright man is to hate sinne as well in himselfe as in others and to bee exercised in judging himselfe But the manner of hypocrits is to hate sinne in others but not in themselues to be busie in prying into other mens behauiour and to neglect their owne to be quick-sighted to discerne and very censorious to judge the offences of their brethren but haue neither eyes to see nor consciences to condemne their owne sinnes and as our Sauiour Christ saith of such hypocrits to see a mote in their brothers eye and not to discerne a beame in their owne 5. The vpright man repenteth of all sinne hauing an vnfained purpose and resolution to abstaine from all sinne and not to retain any one howsoeuer besides and contrary to his purpose hee may faile in some particulars But the hypocrite howsoeuer he may be brought to abstaine from diuerse sinnes whereunto he is not so much addicted yet he will be sure to cherish and retain some sinne or sinnes that are more deare vnto him from which he will by no meanes be reclaimed Example in Herod who reuerenced Iohn Baptist and when he heard him did many things which Iohn aduised him vnto and heard him gladly but doe Iohn what he could he would not forgoe Herodias his brothers wife 6. It is the propertie of the vpright to loue and reuerence the good and godly for their godlinesse sake and to contemne and despise the wicked though mightie in the world because of their wickednesse as it followeth Vers. 4 For the world doth loue her own and hateth those which belong to Christ. But hereby we know that we are translated from death to life because we loue the brethren But it is the manner of hypocrits to stomacke the godly to enuie thē which are better than they and not to brooke them that be had in better estimation than themselues And thus were the Pharisies affected to Christ. 7. It is the propertie of the vpright to preferre the greater weightier duties before the lesse the substance before circumstances the workes either of pietie or mercie before ceremonies But it hath alwayes beene the hypocrits guise to neglect the greater duties and to affect the obseruation of the lesse to preferre circumstances before the substance and ceremonies before the workes either of pietie or charitie to place the height of their religion either in obseruing or vrging ceremonies or contrariwise in refusing them and inueighing
vpon the world halting betwixt God and Mammon and esteeming gaine to be godlinesse we may be theeues yea diuels as he was And not to insist any longer in the seuerall parts of Gods worship this may be said of all externall worship in generall that so oft as it is seuered from the inward spirituall worship of God it is hypocritical and detestable in the sight of God To which purpose the Lord professeth by his Prophet That he which killeth a bullocke is as if he slew a man he that sacrificeth a sheep as if he cut off a dogs necke he that offereth an oblation as if he offered swines bloud he that remembreth incense as if he blessed an idole Wee must therefore beware least we rest in the performance of outward seruice or coÌ„tent our selues with opere operato the deed done which is the rotten pillar of popish superstition For it is not sufficient to doe that which is right vnlesse we do it with an vpright heart If with Amaziah wee doe that which is right but not with an vpright heart we may fall away as he did Wherefore that exhortation which the Apostle maketh to mens seruants much more belongeth to vs who are the seruants of God namely That we shold performe our duties towards him from our heart not in eye-seruices as men-pleasers but with simplicitie of heart fearing God and from our hearts obeying the holy will and commaundements of God Out of all which it appeareth euidently that without vprightnesse of heart neither the graces of the spirit which wee may seeme to haue are of any worth or our worship of any account with God But howsoeuer the most excellent graces without it be glorious sinnes and the most glorious worship counterfeit yet on the other side where vprightnesse is the graces which we haue though as small as a graine of mustard seed and our worship though performed in much weakenesse is acceptable vnto God The second argument is taken from the authoritie of God himselfe auowing the necessitie of vprightnesse And hereunto appertaineth first the testimonie both of the holy ghost in this place affirming That those who are to dwell in Gods holy mountaine are such as walke vprightly as also of our Sauiour Christ Matth. 5. denying that we shall euer enter into the kingdome of heauen vnlesse our righteousnesse exceed the righteousnesse of the Scribes and Pharisies The righteousnesse which the Pharisies obserued themselues and taught others to obserue was altogether outward whereby they abstained from outward and more grosse offences neglecting inward and sâ—cret corruptions Secondly the commaundement of God enjoyning vprightnesse For this is the especiall dutie which we are to performe towards God viz. that wee bumble our selues to walke with our God For when the Lord was to establish his couenant with Abraham and his seed this condition he requireth to be performed on their part to walke before him and to be vpright This is that which Dauid commendeth to Salomon as his last will and testament Know thou the God of thy father and serue him with an vpright heart and a willing mind which Iosua in his last speech commendeth to the people of Israel that they should worship the Lord in spirit and truth As Moses also before had charged them Deut. 18. Thou shalt be vpright therefore before the Lord thy God For seeing the Lord is a spirit he will therefore be worshipped in spirit and in truth And as himselfe is a spirit so is his law spirituall restraining not onely the hand and tongue but also the heart Now the commaundement of God imposeth a necessitie not absolute indeed but with this condition If we will auoid his curse Thirdly the same is prooued by the oath of God which he sware vnto our father Abraham that he would giue vs who are the sonnes of Abraham and heires of promise that being deliuered out of the hands of our enemies we should worship him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him For as the commaundement of God imposeth the necessitie of dutie so the oath of the Lord imposeth a necessitie of certainetie or as the schoolemen speake of infallibilitie And therefore if we doe not walke vprightly worshipping the Lord as before him it is as certaine as the oath of the Lord is true that we can haue no assurance that wee are redeemed by Christ out of the world to raigne with him in his holy mountaine The third and last argument enforcing the necessitie of vprightnesse may be this For either wee must be vpright or hypocrits There is no third for not to bee vpright is to be an hypocrite and not to be an hypocrite is to be vpright But we may in no case be hypocrites For hypocrisie is a sinne most odious vnto God most foolish in it selfe most pernicious to them that are infected therewith It is most odious vnto God for as the vpright are the Lords delight so the hypocrit is an abhomination vnto him For that which is highly esteemed among men is abhomination in the sight of God And not without cause For all hypocrisie and doubling is a double if not a triple sinne for counterfeit pietie is double impietie both because it is impietie and because it is counterfeit And as hypocrisie is a counterfeiting it containeth also two sinnes opposed to simplicitie and truth both which are comprised in integritie viz. falshood opposed vnto truth as it is mendacium facti and deceit or guile opposed vnto simplicitie as duplicitie or doubling The hypocrite in respect of his falsehood and disguising in the Greeke tongue is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is a stage-player who although perhaps he be little better than a rogue representeth sometimes the person of a prince or monarch Those therefore are hypocrits who lead their life as it were vpon a stage cloaking sinne vnder the shew of vertue hauing some â—orme or vizard of pietie but denying the power of it Qui in superficie boni sunt sed in alto mali as Augustine speaketh who seeme to honour God with their lips but remooue their heart farre from him who desiring to seeme good but not to be so and not to seeme euill but to be so make cleane the outside of the cup and of the platter but within they are full of briberie and excesse and are therefore compared by our Sauiour Christ to painted sepulchres which appeare beautifull outward but are within full of dead mens bones and all filthinesse And as the fruit which groweth neere to Mare mortuum when it is ripe maketh a faire shew but within is full of cinders or ashes as some write so these men outwardly appeare righteous vnto men but within they are full of hypocrisie and iniquitie But as in the disguising of hypocrits there is falshood so in their doubling there is guile wherby they indeuouring to deceiue
dwell in the holy mountaine of God are such as walke vprightly that is without hypocrisie towards God without guile towards men Now this guile or dissembling or doubling or hypocrisie for so sometimes it is called which is opposed vnto simplicitie is twofold in word and in fact in word when one thing is said and another thought which in the Scriptures phrase is speaking with an heart and an heart This diuorce betwixt the mind and the tongue is detestable vnto God and odious to ingenious men sometimes also it is called in the Scriptures a deceitfull tongue which the Lord sayth should not be found in the remnant of Israel Sometimes a mouth of deceit as Psal. 109. such as is described Psal. 55. The words of his mouth are softer than butter whiles warre was in his heart his words were more supple than oyle yet were they swords and Ieâ—em 9. their tongue is an arrow shot out and speaketh deceit one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth but in his heart he layeth ambushments for him But what followes shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord Or shall not my soule be auenged on such a nation as this If therefore wee would escape the judgements of God and desire to liue a long and prosperous life We must keepe our tongues from euill and our lips that they speake no guile following as I said before the simplicitie of the lambe of God in whose mouth there was found no guile Dissembling in fact is when one thing is pretended and another intended or as Augustine speaketh Dolus est cum aliud agitur aliud fingitur In which doubling the wisdome of our Polititians brought vp at Machiauels feet doth principally consist the practise whereof is now growne so vsuall that commonly it is said Qui nescit dissimulare nescit viuere he that knoweth not how to dissemble knoweth not how to liue Howbeit more truly it is said and by warrant of Scripture Qui vadit planè vadit sanè He that walketh plainely walketh safely Prou. 10. He that walketh vprightly walketh safely but he that peruerteth his wayes shall be knowne namely as an example to others The highest degree of this deceit is that which we call cony-catching or cousenage when as a man by cunning trickes and artificiall fetches ouerreacheth his neighbour when with his tongue concinnat dolum he trimly forgeth deceit and in his deeds layeth wait for his brother setting snares and nets to catch men as fowlers doe for birds or as cony-catchers doe for rabbets bunting his brother with a net as the Prophet Micah speaketh Now as simplicitie in the Scriptures is commended vnto vs as a note of the true sheepe of Christ imitating the simplicitie of the lambe of God so deceit and guile is condemned as a propertie of those who resemble the image of Satan the old serpent the forger of deceit and the father of lies For if he be a true Christian in whom there is no guile what is hee in whom no simplicitie or plaine dealing is to be found If in the remnant of Israel a deceitfull tongue shall not be found then belong not they to the Israell of God who with their tongues doe forge deceit If true Christians be the sheepe of Christ resembling his simplicitie in whom there was found no guile what then are those foxes and wolues who imitate the old serpent in subtiltie and deceit If those which shall rest in the holy mountaine of God be such as doe walke in vprightnesse and simplicitie then haue they no inheritance in the kingdome of heauen who walke in dissimulation and deceit And this may further appeare by the Lords prohibitions censures and threatnings denounced against deceit It is forbidden Leu. 19 You shall not lie nor vse deceit one towards another And 1. Thess. 4 We are charged not to goe beyond or ouerreach our brother or to defraud him in any matter It is censured as a sinne odious vnto God A man of deceit God hateth It is reckoned Rom. 1 among the crimes of the Gentiles giuen ouer to a reprobate sence that they were full of guile And Ezec. 22 among the abhominations of Ierusalem for which destruction is threatened against it that they made gaine of their neighbours by deceit And lastly the judgements of God are denounced against it Psal. 55 The deceitfull men shall not attaine to the halfe of their dayes 1. Thess. 4. 6 The Lord is a reâ—enger of such things namely of cousenage and deceit And in the place before cited shall I not visit them for these things saith the Lord or shall not my soule be auenged on sucâ— a nation as this To conclude therefore this first note seeing vprightnesse is made a proper marke of the true child of God and citisen of heauen whereas contrariwise dissimulation and deceit are the brands of the wicked it behooueth euery one to apply this note to himselfe Doost thou walk vprightly without hypocrisie towards God without guile towards man happy and blessed art thou for thou shalt see God and as thou now art a sound member of the Church militant so shalt thou be an inheritour of glory in the triumphant Doest thou not walke in sinceritie towards God and simplicitie towards men but in hypocrisie and dissimulation then most fearefull is thine estate vnlesse thou repent for thou hast no part or fellowship in the doctrine of saluation or in the communion of Saints but thy portion shall bee assigned thee with hypocrits where is weeping and gnashing of teeth The second note of a citisen of heauen is Righteousnesse For to the Prophet demaunding who is a sonne and heire of God the Lord answereth He that worketh righteousnesse Where first we are to consider the sence of the words and then are wee to shew that the working of Righteousnesse is a proper marke of those who liuing in the Church are appointed to eternall life Iustice is that vertue which giueth to euery one that which is due vnto him And it is either vniuersall or particular The vniuersall summarily compriseth al those duties which we owe to our neighbour and is therefore said to containe all other morall vertues within it according to the testimonie of the auntient Poet which to this purpose is alleadged by some 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 In iustice is all vertue summarily comprised The particular Iustice is either Distributiue or Commutatiue The Distributiue is that which hauing place in distributing rewards or punishments obserueth a Geometricall proportion according to the worthinesse of men or their deserts The Commutatiue iustice is that which hauing place in Contracts obserueth an Arithmeticall proportion in the equalitie of the things commuted But of the vniuersall righteousnesse this place is especially to be vnderstood the summe whereof is that law royall as Saint Iames
of his life notwithstanding seeing it so neerly concerned the glory of God the good of his followers and the conuiction of his aduersaries he made a notable confession of the truth And that the truth sometimes may be concealed it may be proued by the authoritie of God himselfe For when as the Lord appointed Samuel to go to Bethlehem to annoint Dauid king Samuel desired to be informed how that might safely be done for if Saul should heare thereof he would be sure to kill him The Lord therefore teacheth him this godly pollicy Thou shalt take an heifer with thee and say I am come to sacrifice or as some read to selebrate a feast to the Lord. Whereas therefore Samuel was sent to Bethlehem for two causes he was by the commandement of God to conceale the more principall which teacheth vs that the simplicity of doues is to be tempered with the wisedome of seruants The same is proued by the example of Abraham which himselfe doth justifie for whereas Sara was not onely his sister according to the Hebrew phrase but also his wife he professed the one that she was his sister and concealed the other that she was his wife when as therefore the profession of the truth not necessary is joyned with the damage or danger either of our selues or others and so is vnseasonable howsoeuer we may neither deny the truth nor vtter an vntruth yet we may or rather must conceale the truth either wholly or in part As for example An innocent man who is persecuted for righteousnesse sake is sought for by his persecutors that he may be brought to punishment committeth himselfe to your fidelitie and safe custody The persecutors come and demaund of you where this partie is What will you do in this case If you tell where he is you betray the innocent If you knowing where he is shall say you cannot tell where he is or shall say he is where you thinke he is not you shall lye Will you offend in lying against your owne soule or in treachery against the innocent Forsooth the circumstances are to be considered If you plainely see that notwithstanding whatsoeuer you shall say he cannot be concealed it is all one in respect of the innocent partie whether you conceale the truth or confesse it For neither by confessing the truth shall you betray him nor by concealing it saue him If it be doubtfull whether by concealing the truth he may be preserued or not hide the truth so much as thou mayst and by telling some other truth as Raâ—ab did diuert the fury of the persecutors another way But if the partie be so hid that vnlesse thou discouer him he cannot be found and perhaps thou be asked concerning the very place where he is whether he be there or not here if you say nothing you betray him if you say I cannot tell you lye Therefore as Augustine faith A man in such a case must say I know where he is but I will neuer tell you for which Christian humanitie whatsoeuer you shall constantly endure it is so far from being worthy of blame that it is to be commended And here unto belongeth that memorable example recorded by Augustine in the same place of a certaine Bishop Firmâ—â—s by name but more firme as he saith in resolution For when as messengers sent from a persecuting emperour enquired of him concerning a Christian whom he had hid as secretly as he could where he was he answered them that neither could he lie neither would he betray the man neither could they by any tortures make him to discouer the partie Whereupon they bring him to before the emperour who admiring the constancie and courage of the Bishop was content for his sake to pardon the other Likewise in heathen writers the constancy of Zeno the Philosopher is highly commended who rather than he would be forced by any tortures to vtter secrets against his will he did bite off his tongue and spit it in the tyrants face And thus much may suffice to haue spoken of the three generall notes this onely remaineth that we should apply them to our selues Wherefore from this proposition of the holy Ghost Those that walke vprightly worke righteousnesse embrace the truth are such as shall inherit the kingdome of heauen and reciprocally those that shall inherit the kingdome of heauen are such as walke vprightly exercise iustice speake the truth in their hearts let vs consider what euery mans conscience will assume for if thy conscience shall make this assumption But I walke vprightly worke righteousnesse embrace the truth though with great imperfection yet with my true endeuour and vnfained purpose and desire of mine heart then vpon these premises will follow this happy conclusion Therefore thou are one of those that shall inherit the kingdome of heauen But on the other side if this be the assumption which thy con-conscience maketh Thou playest the hypocrite before God and dealest deceitfully with men thou liuest vnjustly and followest after lies vpon these premises it will follow necessarily That thou art not such an one as shall inherit the kingdome of heauen And therefore as thou wouldest hope to be saued so repent of these sinnes and embrace the contrary vertues which are here set downe as the proper notes of Gods children But let vs come to the fourth note which as also the third whereof euen now I spake respecteth the tongue and the same in part may be sayd of the eight Now whereas the holy Ghost among the ten notes of Gods children taketh two or three from the toung it appeareth that great regard is to be had of the tongue For howsoeuer many make but light account of their words which are they say but wind notwithstanding the holy Ghost affirmeth that death and life are in the power of the tongue and as men loue to vse it so shall they eate the fruit thereof And Christ our Sauiour after he had said that men are to giue an account of their idle words he adjoyneth this reason for by thy words saith he thou shalt be iustified and by thy words thou shalt be condemned Wherefore let vs learne to gouerne our tongue otherwise we shall be conuicted by three notes out of this Psalme that we neither are sound members of the Church militant nor shall be inheritors of glory in the Church triumphant but rather shall shew our profession of religion though otherwise neuer so glorious to be but vaine For as Iames saith If any man among you seemeth religious and refraineth not his tongue but deceiueth his owne heart that mans religion is vaine Moreouer betwixt the third note and this fourth there is great assinitie For thereby are signified two duties of the tongue which may not be seuered the contrary affirmatiue being vnderstood vnder this negatiue namely that the speech of the vpright man concerning his neighbour is full of charitie whereby The is so farre from
defaming him by vncharitable slaunders as that he sheweth himselfe greatly to tender his good name For in all our speech concerning our neighbour these two things are required That our talke be the speech of verity and of charitie For charity reioyceth in the truth and truth must be spoken in charitie as the Apostle saith 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 speaking the truth in loue Neither sufficeth a true speech vnlesse it proceed from charitie nor a charitable speechvnlesse it be joyned with verity Truth without charitie is malicious and charitie without truth is a lyar But let vs come to the words themselues He that slandereth not with his tongue The Hebrew word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to play the espie and by a metaphor to backbite or slander For backbiters and whisperers after the maner of espies go vp and downe dissembling their malice that they may espie the faults and defects of others whereof they may make a malitious relation to such as will giue eare to their slaunders So that backbiting is a malitious defamation of a man behind his backe Now that I may speake of this matter according to the scope of the holy ghost in this place I am to shew first that those which be heires apparant of the kingdom of heauen neither are nor should be backbiters and secondly that all sorts of men besides them doe slaunder with their tongues For so shall it appeare that this is a proper note of the sonnes and heires of God agreeing to them all and to them alone And that the citisen of heauen doth and ought to abhorre from backbiting the horrible wickednesse of this sinne doth euince For first Leuit. 19 where it is straightly forbidden the tale-bearer is compared to a pedler Thou shalt not walke about with tales and slanders as it were a pedler among thy people so much 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth For as the pedler hauing bought his wares of some one or more goeth about from house to house that he may sell the same to others so backbiters and tale-bearers gathering together tales and rumours as it were wares goe from one to another that such wares as either themselues haue inuented or haue gathered by report they may vtter in the absence of their neighbour to his infamie and disgrace Likewise Psal. 50. it is condemned as a notable crime which God will not suffer to goe vnpunished Ezec. 22. it is reckoned among the abhominations of I erusalem for which destruction is denounced against it and Rom. 1. among the crimes of the heathen giuen ouer vnto a reprobat sence this is placed That they were whisperers and backbiters But the detestable abhomination of this sinne may more clearely appeare if we consider either the causes from whence it springeth or the fruits and effects which it bringeth forth It ariseth of enuie and hatred for therfore backbiters slaunder other either because they hate them as their enemies or enuie them as their betters In both respects backbiting is numbred among the murthers of the tongue and for that cause the backbiters tongue which being inflamed with rancour and enuie is worthily said to be set on fire from hell is sitly compared to a bow a sword a razour an aspe and other deadly things For those which smite with their tongue they bend their tongue as it were a bowe of lies out of which they shoot bitter words as it were arrowes wherewith they shoot at the vpright in secret they shoot at him suddenly and feare not They whet their tongue like a sword and pronounce words like a piercing sword yea their words are swords Their tongue is like to a sharpe razour They haue sharpened their tongues like a serpent venenum ptyados the poyson of the spitting aspe which sendeth his poyson farre off is vnder their lips In a word their tongue is a fire a world of wickednesse an vnruly euill full of deadly poyson But consider withall the fruits of backbiting for the backbiter is not a single manslayer but hee killeth three men as it were with one stroke For which cause euery false witnesse and consequently euery backbiter who is one of the worst kinds of false witnesses is said to be an arrow an hammer and a sword an arrow in respect of him that is absent whom he woundeth a farre off in his good name in his goods in his friends and sometimes in his life Of his good name he alwayes spoyleth his neighbour which is more precious than ointments and more to be desired than great riches and therefore doth offer him greater wrong than if hee had robbed him of his goods Wherefore as that wise man exhorteth Bee not counted a tale-bearer lie not in wait with thy tongue for shame doth follow a theefe but euill condemnation is vpon him that is double-tongued Againe that which is stollen may be restored againe but the blot of infamie can neuer be wiped away against the biting of the sycophant which is backbiting there is no remedie theeues also may be preuented or shunned but who is able to escape or auoid the slaunder of the tale-bearer But the backbiter doth not onely spoile his neighbour of his good name but sometimes also of his goods as we see in the example of Ziba who by slaundering his master Mephibosheth obtained his goods Againe the backbiter or tale-bearer increaseth hatred among enemies soweth discord among friends For as Salomon sayth Without wood the fire is quenched and without a talebearer strife ceaseth And againe a froward person soweth strife and a tale-bearer maketh diuision among princes and therefore the backbiter doth not onely rob a man of his goods and good name but sometimes also of his friends But to bereaue a man of his friends is a greater wrong than easily can be imagined for a friend oftentimes is nearer and dearer than a brother Now if they be happy which are peace-makers then cursed are they that sow hatred among friends for this is that seuenth thing which the Lord doth especially abhorre And as the peace-makers are the sonnes of God so are tale-bearers the children of the diuell whose conditions in slaundering and sowing discord they doe resemble Lastly the slaunderer sometimes bereaueth his neighbour of his life and carrieth tales to shed bloud as appeareth in Doeg of whom Dauid complaineth Psal. 52. that his tongue did cut like a sharpe razour and that hee loued all words that might destroy For howsoeuer the tale-bearers words doe oftentimes come out with sighs as though he pitied the party whom he doth backbite yet they descend into the bowels and pierce the heart and therefore the backbiters tongue as you haue heard is compared to most deadly things 2. To him that receiueth the slaunder the backbiter is an hammer to knocke him on the head Eius enim aurem dum
he had learned it he said That in 49 yeares he had not so learned that lesson that he was able to performe it For as Iames sayth If any man sinne not in word he is a perfect man and able to bridle all the body And as he is perfect so also blessed as that wiâ—e man sayth Blessed is the man who offendeth not with his mouth It remaineth therefore that euery one should apply this note to himselfe For as those which find themselues to be giuen to backbiting and sâ—aundering mustrepent of this sinne if euer they hope to rest in the mountaine of Gods holinesse because as yet they bee not so qualified as they are who shall inherit the kingdome of God whose propertie it is not to slaunder with their tongue so those who professing religion haue learned to bridle their tongue and in tender care of their neighbours good name doe loue to speake charitably of them may by this note among others gather assurance vnto themselues that they be the children of God The fift note is expressed in these words That doth none euill to his neighbour Where first we are to vnderstand the meaning of the words By neighbour who is meant all doe not agree The vulgar sort esteemeth no man their neighbour who is not vicinus neare them in dwelling The Scribes and Pharisies accounted no man their neighbor who was not their friend for so were they wont to say Thou shalt loue thy neighbour and hate thine enemie But Christ our Sauiour extendeth the signification of neighbour to our enemies also and Luke10 being demaunded by an expounder of the law Who was his neighbour he euinceth That the Samaritane though hated of the Iews for his countrey sake was that Iewes neighbour who had fallen among theeues and consequently that euery Iew was to shew himselfe a neighbour to any Samaritane or stranger in the like case And in the law it selfe the Lord so expoundeth himselfe for whom in Exod. 23 he calleth thine enemie the same in Deut. 22 where the same law is repeated he calleth thy brother Now neighbour and brother is vsed in the same sence in the Scripture as Leuit. 19. 17. Thy neighbour therefore is not onely hee which is nigh vnto thee in place or neere in friendship but also he who is neere vnto thee in nature as euery man is partaking the same humane nature with thee whether he be friend or foe thy countryman or stranger For all men are brethren among themselues hauing one father which is God and one mother which is the earth All are neighbours being neare one vnto another in nature all made of one blood all one flesh For euen the poorest man that hath not a clout to couer his nakednesse he is thy flesh that is of the sameflesh with thee and therefore art to pittie him not to hide thy selfe from him By the word neighbour therfore we vnderstand any man whatsoeuer euery man being neere vnto vs in nature and neerely joyned to vs by the common bond of humanitie For therefore doth the holy ghost vnder the names of neighbour brother in the Scriptures signifie any other man whatsoeuer to teach all men so to be affected one to another as it becommeth louing neighbours and brothers By Euill we are to vnderstand any harme injurie losse or hinderance whatsoeuer done either to the soule of his neighbour or to his bodie chastitie goods or good name for to the soule harme may be done by scandales in life or doctrine that is to say by euill examples or erronious opinions to the bodie by violence to the chastitie by fornication and adulterie to the goods by theft or robberie to the good name by slaunders and ill reports So that in these words the holy ghost assigneth to the citisen of heauen such innocencie towards all men that willingly he will doe no harme to any man whether friend or foe whether countryman of stranger whereby either his soule may be scandalized his body hurt his or her chastitie violated his goods impaired or his good name impeached And further vnder this negatiue the affirmatiue also is required in those which are and shall bee citisens of heauen namely That they do not only abstain from euill but also that they bee willing and ready to doe good to their neighbour that is not only to their friends and welwillers but also to their enemies Thus haue we the meaning of the words Let vs now come to the scope and purpose of the Psalmist that is to shew that this innocencie is a peculiar note to the sonnes and heires of God as belonging to them all and to them alone for it is the propertie of Gods children to be more readie to suffer than to offer wrong For euen Socrates though a heathen man could say That it is better 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to suffer iniurie than to doe wrong For from offering euill to any they are restrained by these considerations First as touching any other men whatsoeuer they call to mind and consider that they were created according to the same image of God and consequently that they cannot be hurt but that the image of God also shall be violated They consider that they are their brethren of the same nature of the same bloud of the same flesh which affinitie maketh euen beasts of the same kind to loue one another and therefore that he which hurteth or wrongeth another offendeth against humane nature and violateth humanitie it selfe And therefore are louingly and courteously affected towards all men not willingly doing any thing to others which they would not that others should do to them in the like case And as concerning those which be of the houshold of faith in which number when they thinke of particulars they esteeme all that professe the same faith with them to them they thinke themselues tied by a neerer bond of loue For those they embrace as brothers not onely in respect of creation but also in respect of adoption as brothers not onely in nature but also in Christ them they loue and affect not onely as neighbours who are neere vnto them in nature but also as those who are one with them in Christ as being fellow members of the same bodie whereof Christ is the head And therefore they easily perceiue that no wrong can bee offered to them which doth not redound to Christ himselfe for what good or euill is done to his members Christ esteemeth it as done to himselfe Wherefore the children of God are so farre from any course or custome of doing ill to their neighbours that on the contrary their desire and indeuour is to do good to all men but especially to those which be of the houshold of faith For first as touching the soules of their brethren their desire is to liue without offence and not to hinder the saluation of their brethren either by prouocation
Ghost where it is made one of the notes of Gods children as also Psal. 24 Thirdly by the promise of great blessing for as Salomon saith A faithfull man shall abound in blessings As for vnfaithfulnesse in breaking promises and oaths it is condemned as one of the sinnes of the heathen who were giuen ouer to a reprobat mind Rom. 1. 30 where he saith they were couenant breakers and punished in Sauls posteritie because he had broken the couenant made by oath with the Gibeonites and in Zedekiah who had broken the oath and couenant which he had made with Nebuchadnezar in regard whereof Ezekiel saith Shall he breake the couenant and be deliuered As I liue saith the Lord I will surely bring mine oath that he hath despised and my couenant that he hath broken vpon his owne head c. For not to performe an oath when a man may lawfully and is able to performe it is perjurie For perjury properly is not to sweare falsly but not to performe the oath which thou hast made Mat. 5. 33. But what if the thing which by oath is promised be either vnlawfull or not in our power If when we take the oath we know it either to be vnlawfull or not in our power we sinne fearfully in swearing thereto For he that sweareth to performe that which he knowes to be vnlawfull if he hath a purpose to performe it he sinneth with an high hand of setled purpose and full resolution which he feareth not to bind with an oath and therein to call vpon God both as his suretie that he shall performe it and as his judge and reuenger if he do not If he hath no purpose to performe it he sweareth falsly and deceiueth his neighbor vnder the religion of an oath and prophaneth the name of God whom he calleth to witnesse an vntruth and that which is worst of all he desparatly tempteth God and as it were dareth him to his face when he feareth not to call vpon God to execute his vengeance on him if he performe not that which he hath no purpose to performe If he knoweth it to be a thing to him vnpossible or not in his power and yet will sweare to do it he wilfully forsweareth himselfe and desparatly prouoketh God to execute his vengeance on him and in all respects sinneth as the former who sweareth to that which he hath no purpose to performe But if at the first the matter do not appeare to be either vnlawfull or vnpossible and yet afterward proue so then he which so deposeth sweareth rashly and vnaduisedly For we ought to be well assured both of the lawfulnesse and possibilitie of a thing before we may presume to bind our selues by oath to the performance of it Howsoeuer it be an oath so soone as it appeareth vnto vs to be vnlawfull or impossible it is void of none effect neither doth it bind vs for an oath may not be the bond of iniquity neither can it tie vs to impossibilities If therefore thou hast sworne to a thing vnlawfull thou hast sinned in swearing vnlawfully and for that thou art to craue pardon at the hands of God but that which thou hast vnlawfully promised thou maist not wickedly performe Vnlawfull oaths are laudably broken and damnably kept as one saith in swearing so thou hast sinned but it is no sinne to breake an vnlawfull oath he that performeth it addeth sinne vnto sinne and vnto a lesse sinne manie times he addeth a greater to the rashnesse of swearing the wickednesse of performing Herod made a rash oath and as it proued also a wicked oath which if he had not performed he had sinned no further in that matter but by performing it vnto the rashnesse of his swearing he added fearfull murther of the holy man of God Dauid also tooke an vnlawfull oath to reuenge himselfe vpon Nabal but when by Abigail he was informed of the vnlawfulnesse thereof he not onely desisteth from his purpose and breaketh that oath but also blesseth God that had sent her blesseth her that had kept him from shedding blood or reuenging his owne quarrell If further it be demaunded What if that which a man promiseth by oath cannot be performed without his losse or hinderance The holy Ghost resolueth vs in this place That it is the propertie of Gods children to keepe their oath though it be to their hinderance But what if a man be forced to sweare to that which is against his profit if it be not also vnlawfull he is to performe it To vnlawfull oaths we ought not to suffer our selues by any meanes to be forced But if through feare or infirmitie we haue yeelded to take an vnlawful oath we haue sinned in swearing but we are not bound to performe it The ninth marke or note whereby the holy ghost describeth a sound Christian and citisen of heauen is That he doth not giue out his money to vsurie but contrariwise for vnder the negatiue wee are to vnderstand the affirmatiue justly getteth his goods and charitably exposeth them to the benefit of others as it is said Psal. 112. 5 A good man is mercifull and lendeth and againe Psal. 37. 26 The righteous man is euer mercifull and lendeth I will first speak of the negatiue And because as some worthie writers testifie it is but a small matter not to put forth money vnto vsurie I will afterwards shew that it is required of euery Christian both quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of the possession that he get his goods justly and also quoad 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in respect of the vse that he be willing freely to communicate them to the reliefe of others M. Luther writing on these words sayth Iste versus non indiget expositione sed impletione This verse needeth not to bee expounded for the rectifying of our judgement but to bee performed in our practise for the sanctifying of our life For in Luthers time and in all the ages before him although many practised vsurie as they did other kinds of theft and robberie yet there was neuer any controuersie among the learned concerning the lawfulnesse of vsurie more than of other kinds of theft but all with one consent condemned vsurie and vsurers vnto hell But if Luther were liuing in these our times and vnderstood besides the common practise of vsurie openly and the cunning shifts whereby it is cloaked the open defence also thereof vndertaken not only by vsurers themselues who haue learned many subtile distinctions and instances to justifie their trade but also by diuerse diuines otherwise godly and learned who haue either spoken or written more wittily than truly in fauour of vsurie assuredly he would confesse that there is scarcely any one morall point of diuinitie which needeth more fully to be expounded and more exquisitly to be discussed And although it may not be expected at my hands in this mediocritie or meannesse of gifts that I should more
this would not be a sufficient warrant either for the hardnesse or austeritie of masters or yet for the vsurie practised by the seruants For euen as here hee compareth the bestowing of his gifts vpon his seruants that they employing them and vsing them to his glorie and good of their brethren and increasing them in the vse he might seeme to receiue his own with vauntage to a straight and austere masters deliuerie of talents to his seruants that they might occupie or traffique therewith to the end that he might make vs all carefull to vse and imploy the good gifts of God according to our seuerall places and callings remembring that we shall be called to a straight account for the same so elsewhere he compareth his comming to the suddain comming of a theefe to the end that he might make vs vigilant and watchfull and yet me thinkes this should be but small warrant for theeues suddainly to breake into mens houses Yea but say they though theft it selfe be vnlawfull yet the wisedome of theeues in chusing a fit time in respect whereof the comming of Christ is compared to their comming is not vnlawfull To omit that the comming of Christ is compared to the comming of theeues onely in respect of suddainnesse it cannot truly be said that the wisdome of theeues in chusing their best oportunitie is lawfull for all such wisdom Iames calleth earthly carnall and diuellish Yea but you will say although the vnjust stewards dealing with his master were vnjust and vnfaithfull Luke 16. 8 yet our sauiour Christ commendeth his wisdome I answere euen as in that place our Sauiour Christ though the dealing of that steward were vnjust yet commendeth his wisdome not that he simply allowed thereof for it was as Iames sayth of all such wisdome earthly and diuellish but commendeth it to his disciples to be imitated in spirituall things that we likewise should make vs friends with the riches of iniquitie that when we must giue vp our stewardship we may be receiued into euerlasting habitations So in this place he speaketh not of vsurie as of a lawfull gaine but commendeth the wisedome and care of the children of this world who are wiser in their generation than the children of light to be imitated of the faithfull in spirituall things For as worldly men hauing receiued talents from their master to occupie for his best aduantage vse not to keepe his mony idle by them but do their best indeuour to increase the stocke committed to them by traffique or negotiation or if they be idle or distrustfull will commit it to the bankers that their master may receiue his owne with vsurie so those who haue receiued spirituall gifts and graces from God to be employed to his glory ought not to burie or to hide them but ought to imploy them as it were by traffique and mutuall communication of them for the common good of the church that by the imployment of them the Church being profited and the gifts themselues increased the Lord may receiue his owne with vantage For such is the bountie of the Lord that he accounteth the good of the church and the increase of his graces in his seruants to be his owne gaine Thus haue I shewed that although the similitude be pressed for the proofe of other matters than for which it is brought yet nothing can be concluded thence for the justifying of vsurie But now I answere further That a similitude ought not to be pressed for the proofe of any matter besides the purpose for which it is bought otherwise from parables and similitudes a man might inferre very many absurd consequences It is therefore a principle among schoole-diuines that Theologia symbolica non est argumentatius that is That arguments drawne from symbolicall and parabolicall speeches prooue nothing in diuinitie And Basil speaking of this very parable giueth this rule 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Parables doe not in their specialtie or seuerally by themselues yeeld full rules or documents but they lead a mans mind to the argument or cause which is in hand The scope therefore and purpose of this parable is to teach vs that for as much as we are all to giue a straight account vnto God of those gifts and talents which we haue receiued from him it behooueth vs therfore diligently and carefully to vse and imploy them that by the imployment of them our brethren being profited and the graces themselues being increased in vs God may haue the glorie and we euerlasting comfort This doctrine our Sauiour Christ illustrateth by a parable or fained example of a master who hauing at his departure into a strange countrey giuen talents to his seruants in diuerse degrees to be occupied at his returne calleth them to an account how they haue imployed his talents and accordingly rewardeth the diligent faithfull and punisheth the idle and vnfaithfull seruant taking from him his excuses and condemning him out of his owne mouth this was the proposition of the similitude the reddition which is not expressed is this So our Lord and master both when he ascended into heauen gaue and also since by his spirit giueth gifts and graces to men to some more to some lesse that we may imploy them to his glory and to the good of our brethren and at his return in the day of judgement he shall call vs all to an account how we haue imployed our talents and so many as he findeth to haue beene diligent and faithfull seruants he will reward with euerlasting joy and happinesse but such as haue buried the gifts of God by idlenesse and vnfaithfulnesse he will punish taking from them their friuolous excuses and euen condemne them out of their owne mouth When as therefore they say that our Sauiour Christ in this parable signifieth That it were better for a man to put forth his money to vsurie than to keepe it idle by him I answere That this is altogether besides the purpose and intendment of our Sauiour Christ in this place His drift is to shew that as worldly masters require their seruants to increase their worldly wealth by one meanes or other and will not admit their excuses which they pretend to their idlenesse and vnfaithfulnesse so the Lord requireth of all his seruants that they should vse all diligence to imploy his spirituall gifts to his glorie neither will he accept the friuolous pretences of such as are idle and vnfaithfull And to this purpose onely as I take it is this speech concerning the putting forth of the mony to the bankers vsed not that the like is to be done or can be done in spirituall things 3. Againe they alledge the authoritie of Iohn Baptist for when as the Publicanes who fermed the customes tolls and tributes in euery prouince and vsed to put forth money which they gathered vnto vsurie demaunded of him what they should doe Iohn Baptist answered Exact nothing aboue that which is appointed you Which the author
worthie and learned men in this age the testimonies of all the learned in former ages both Christian and heathen the censures of Councels the authoritie of the word of God Now if the conscience of any be not clearly conuicted by the euidence of truth which I haue deliuered concerning the vnlawfulnesse of vsurie I will for their sakes add a further consideration whereby it shall appeare that although we were not sure that vsurie is vnlawfull yet it cannot be practised with a good conscience First because it cannot be done in faith that is to say in a sound persuasion out of the word of God that it is lawfull and whatsoeuer is not of faith is sinne Wherefore if thou doest but doubt of the lawfulnesse of vsurie thou art to abstaine from it being well assured that this is the safer course for men are not to doe that which they doubt of but euer in doubtfull things they must chuse the safer way But it is to be feared that many vsurers do not only doubt of the lawfulnesse of vsurie but euen in their own consciences condemne it and yet against their conscience doe practise it for they had rather be vsurers than seeme so Yea they account it a reproch to be called an vsurer and although they practise the thing yet they auoid the name and in stead of vsurie vse these names vse vsance consideration interest and as they auoid the name so many times they cloke the thing it selfe with diuerse other pretences as hath beene shewed Againe vsurie is a very odious thing and of ill report the very heathen by the light of nature detest it Tully sayth such gaines are to be misliked which are odious as namely that of vsurers Columella sayth That vsurie is odious euen to those whom it seemeth to helpe Aristotle saith it is hated most worthily for as Plautus well saith There is no worse kind of men this day or that deale with lesse right than the vsurers Alexander ab Alexandro reporteth in detestation of vsurie that very many nations did so abhorre it that whereas they punished a theefe twofold they punished an vsurer fourefold As for Christians vsurie in auntient time was so odious among them that if any were but suspected to be an vsurer his house was counted the house of the diuell no neighbour would fetch fire at his house or haue any thing to doe with him children would point at him in the streets yea by the laws of Christians they are diffamed persons The scriptures as you haue heard censure vsurie as an abhomination that is as a sinne to be abhorred And Psal. 109. 11 the holy ghost vseth this interpretation against the wicked Let the exactour meaning thereby the vsurer as all translations almost besides some English doe read ensnare all that he hath Whereby it may be gathered both that to be an vsurer is an odious thing and that it is a curse to fall into his snare Now the Scriptures teach vs that we should doe such things as are honest and of good report prouiding for honest things not onely before God but also before men abstaining from all shewes of euill Seeing therefore vsurie is and alwayes hath beene a thing so odious and of so bad report no Christian can practise it with a good conscience And thus I hope this question of vsurie is sufficiently decided Now let vs consider what vse this doctrine affordeth which briefely is thus much that seeing vsurie is so detestable a sinne as hath beene shewed we should therefore take great heed that we be not guiltie thereof either as principals or as accessaries The former vse concerneth either those who haue not as yet beene attainted with this sinne or those that haue practised it Those who haue not defiled themselues with this vnjust gaine are taught to confirme their resolution of abstaining from vsurie and the rather seeing the holy ghost in this place maketh it a note of a sound Christian and citisen of heauen As for those who haue practised this sinne their dutie is to repent thereof whereunto they may be mooued by this argument Those that shall dwell in the mountaine Gods holinesse are such as doe not put forth their money to vsurie Thou say I to him that is an vsurer puttest forth thy money to vsurie therefore thou shalt not dwell in the mountaine of Gods holinesse namely vnlesse thou repent And againe Ezech. 18 He that putteth foorth to vsurie and taketh increase he shall not liue but die the death viz. vnlesse he repent and turne from his wickednesse for that condition is to be vnderstood by warrant of the Lords owne exposition Ezech. 35. 14 15 When I shall say to the wicked as he sayth to the vsurer chap. 18. 13 Thou shalt die the death if he turne from his sinne and doe that which is lawfull and right to wit if the wicked restore the pledge and giue againe that he had robbed and walke in the statutes of life without committing iniquitie he shall surely liue and not die Now vnto repentance besides the inward loathing of the sinne and sorrow conceiued for it is required as that testimonie out of Ezech. 33. 14 15 plainely sheweth both a desisting from the practise of vsurie and a restitution of that which hath beene gotten by vsurie with the harme of others For the first it is the expresse commaundement of God by the Apostle Eph. 4. 28 Let him that stole steale no more and by Nehemiah more particularly in this case of vsurie chap. 5. 10 Let vs cease from this burthen meaning vsurie forsaking of sinne accompanieth forgiuing of sinne He that confesseth his sinne and forsaketh it shall haue mercie Prou. 28. 13. Neither may we thinke that God remitteth those sinnes which we our selues retaine But this point needeth no proofe If vsurie be a sinne and we guiltie of it our conscience telling vs that it is a sinne we cannot be saued except this sinne be forgiuen vs and it will neuer be forgiuen of God vnlesse also it be forsaken of vs. Now vpon this forsaking of sinne will follow the second dutie of repentance namely restitution as a necessarie consequent thereof Which restitution whosoeuer maketh not being able to restore he neither hath vnfained repentance for this sinne nor any sound assurance of the forgiuenesse thereof He hath not repentance for he doth not forsake the sinne of theft and vsurie that continueth in it and he continueth therein that doth not make restitution For so oft as a man remembreth that whatsoeuer he hath vnjustly gotten by vsurie or any other kind of theft to the damnifying of others is not his owne but theirs whom he hath wronged and yet refuseth being able to restore the same so often he committeth theft Therefore Augustine sayth That men doe repent indeed but counterfeit repentance if when they are able to restore other mens goods wherein they haue offended
judgement he getteth his goods vnlawfully as for example by vsurie or briberie Now we are briefly to consider the contrarie affirmatiue namely that euery sound Christian maketh conscience of his gettings hauing a true purpose and vpright endeuour to obtaine and procure the commodities of this life onely by good and lawfull meanes And that we may all of vs in like sort be persuaded to make conscience of this duty let vs haue in our minds these considerations first that riches are fitly compared to thornes which if we be not carefull in the gathering of them will pricke and wound not the hand but the conscience yea and if we be ouer-greedie of them will pierce vs through with many sorrowes and secondly that so oft as they being offered to our desire cannot be compassed by good and lawfull meanes they are the baits of the Diuell And therefore we are not to lay hold vpon euerie commoditie which is propounded vnto vs but we are to looke vnto the lawfulnes of the meanes for if we attaine them by vnlawful means we do with them swallow the hooke of the Diuell And this is a certaine truth that those which will be rich that is which haue set downe with themselues that they will attaine to wealth whether the Lord do giue them lawfull meanes or not they fall into temptation and snares of the Diuell for he cannot lay any bait of commoditie to entrap them which they will not be readie to obtaine by sinne which is the very hooke of the Diuell Thirdly we are to acknowledge that it is the blessing of God which maketh rich Prou. 10. 22 and that the Lord doth not blesse ill gotten goods see Prou. 13. 11. and Iâ—rem chapter 17. 11. Fourthly that better is a little with righteousnesse than great reuenews without equitie Prou. 16. 8. Psal. 37. 16 and that it is better to be in meane estate with a good conscience than with the shipwracke of a good conscience to be rich Fiftly that goods justly gotten are the good gifts of God and pledges of his loue towards thee if also thou hast grace to vse them well but contrariwise that ill gotten goods obtained by sinne in the seruice of the diuell they are the wages which the prince of this world giueth to his seruants and are as Nazianzene sayth the earnest penny of perdition or that I may speake more effectually they are the price of mens soules for which couetous men who haue set their soules to sale doe sell them to the diuell Lastly let vs esteeme that onely to be gained which is gotten lawfully And when any thing which we desire cannot be gotten lawfully let vs remember that as the Apostle sayth Great gaâ—e is godlinesse with contentednesse Whereas contrariwise in that which is vnjustly gotten thre is exceeding great losse And therfore the heathen man did well aduise vs to chuse losse rather than vnhonest gaine for the one sayth hee will grieue thee but once and the other for euer For indeed what is gained in that which is gotten by sinne an earthly commoditie which to a worldly man is not onely vaine and vnprofitable but also hurtfull But what is loâ—t thy soule For the wages of sinne as death and the soule that sâ—â—neth shall die Now if the soule should bee weighed in the ballance of Critolâ—us against al the commodities of the world it would ouerweigh them all Wherefore let that diuine Oracle of our Sauiour Christ alwaies sound in our eares What will it profit a man if hee shall gaine the whole world and loose his owne soule Mar. 8. 36. should we not sinne to gaine the whole world and shall we be readie to sinne for euery trifle in the world Would not the whole world be a sufficient ransome to redeeme our soules and shall wee â—ell our soules to the diuell for euery nothing in this world Was Esau prophane and foolish who in his hunger sold his birthright for a messe of pottage and are not we much more prophane and foolish if for matters of like value but lesse necessitie wee shall make away an euerlasting inheritance yea an eternall kingdome in heauen And thus much may suffice to haue spoken concerning the description of the sound Christian and citizen of heauen Now followeth the priuiledge of euery sound Christian who is qualified according to that description viz. That he shall neuer bee remooued for so sayth the holy ghost He that doth these things shall neuer bee remooued Where we are to consider two things first who it is to whom this priuiledge belongeth and secondly what this priuiledge is the partie to whom it belongeth is He that doth these things He doth not say he that knoweth these things nor he that can discourse of these matters but he that doth these things For as we judge of the health and soundnesse of the heart not by the words of the mouth or colour of the countenance but by the pulse of the arme so of the soundnesse and vprightnesse of the heart judgement is to be made not so much by the words or countenance as by the fruits of the hands It is a good thing to say well but we are no sound Christians or citizens of heauen vnlesse also we doe well Not euery one that sayth vnto me Lord Lord shall enter into the kingdome of heauen but he that doth the will of my father which is in heauen It is a good thing to read and heare and by reading and hearing to know the will of God but we shall neuer attaine to happinesse vnlesse we be also carefull to doe it Blessed it â—e which readeth sayth Iohn the Diuine and blessed are they which â—e are the words of this prophecie but he stayeth not there and obserue sayth he the things which are written therein It is a good thing to haue the word of God preached and a miserable thing to be without it as Salomon sayth Prou. 29. 18. but he that so heareth it as that he keepeth it ô happie is he They are blessed sayth our Sauiour Christ that â—eare the word of God and keepe it And againe If you know these things happie are you if you doe them We are therefore from hence to bee exhorted vnto well doing For seeing a sound Christian and citizen of heauen is to be discerned by doing these things as the holy ghost here teacheth it behoueth vs by doing them to make our calling and election sure For if we doe these things we shall neuer fall as Peter also by the same spirit affirmeth The priuiledge it selfe is that he shall neuer be remooued or as some read that he shall not fall for euer not for euer that is neuer as Iohn 13. 8. Thou shalt not wash myfeet for euer And the same priuiledge in the same words is repeated Psal. 112. 6. The good man shall neuer be remooued and Prou. 10. 30. The righteous shall neuer be remoued
Psal. 122. 1. Psal. 84. 4. 10. Eccles. 4. 17. 5. 1. Exod. 3. 5. Ios. 5. 15. Act. 10. 33. 1. Sam. 1â— 7. Why the holy ghost doth vse the phrase of soiourning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 True heires of heauen and pilgrims on eaâ—th â— Pet. 1. 17. Gen. 47. 9. â— Chro. 2â— 15. Heb. 11. 13. 1. Pet. 2. 11 12. Phil. 3. 19 20. Phil. 1. 23. 2. Cor. 5. 1. Mat 6. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Basil. Mat. 7. 14. Eph. 2. 10. Esay 30. 21. Phil. 3. 14. Mat. 10. 22. The second part of the question What is meant by the mountain of God Exod. 15. 17. Psal. 2. 6. Heb. 12. 22. Esay 14. 13. Psal. 48. 2. Psal. 11. 4. Psal. 3. 4. Heb. 12. Why heauen is called the mountaine of God 1. Cor. 5. Mat. 17. 4. Esay 33. 16. Hâ—ly mountain Exod. 3. 5. 2. Pet. 1. 18. Apoc 21. 27. Heb. 12. 14. Iohn 3. 5. The phrase of dwelling expounded Hebr. 9. 15. Luke 16. 9. 1. Pet. 1. 4. Dan. 12. 2. 3. Mat. 25. 46. Heb. 5. 9. 2. Pet. 1. 11. 2. Pet. 1. 10. Psal. 16. 11. 2. Cor. 4. 17. Heb. 12. 1. 2. Rom 8. 18. 2. Cor. 4. 17. Apoc. 14. 13. Psal. 95. c. Heb. 4. Heb. 4. 9. Heb. 3. 7. c. Heb. 6. 11. Heb. 3. 12. Apoc. 21. 8. Heb. 4. 3. Heb. 4. 8. Iohn 14. 2. Luke 16. 22. 2. Cor. 5. 6. 2. Cor. 5. 8. Of the parts of the question ioyntly Of the party to whom this question is propounded 1. Cor. 4. 13. Iohn 16. 2. â— Iohn 17. 14. Iohn 15. 18. 19. Phil. 1. 7. 1. Iohn 2. 19. â—at 22. 14. Ier. 17. 9. 10. 1. Thes. 2. 4. 2. Tim. 2. 19. Mat. 25. 32. Gods answer Of the description in generall 1. Iohn 3. 10. Gal. 5. 6. Iam. 2. 18. 26 1. Iohn â— 20. Iohn 13. 35. Rom. 13. 9. Psal. 24. 3. 4. 6. Esay 33. 14. 15. 16. The parts of the description 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Psal. 119. 1. Mat. 7. 13. Luke 13. 24. Act. 9. 2. Psal. 16. 11. Luke 1. 79. Act. 16. 17. Act. 20. 21. 24. 14. 15. 16. Iohn 6. 35. Iohn 14. 6. Eph. 2. 10. Esay 30. 21. Phil. 3. 14. 15. â— Thes. 4. 1. 1. King 18. 21. Phil. 3. 18. 19. Prou. 20. 9. 1. Iohn 1. 8. Iam. 3. 2. Eccles. 7. 22. 2. Chron. 15. 17 Chap. 16. What vprightnesse is Gen. 17. 1. Luke 1. 6. Luke 1. 73. 74. 2. Cor. 12. 19. 2. Cor. 2. 17. Act. 10. 33. Gal. 2. 14. 1. Kin. 18. 21. 1. Chron. 12. 33. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vers. 38. Psal. 12. 2. Iam. 1. 8. Sincerum quasi sine cera 1. Cor. 5. 8. Luke 12. 1. Deut. 22. 9 10 11. Leuit. 19. 19. 1. Cor. 5. 8. Psal. 51. 6. Iohn 4. 24. Psal. 145. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8. 21. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Iam 1. 8 1. Iohn 2. 19. Iob. 8. 11 12 13 Iob. 27. 8. Mat. 6. 2. 5. Iob. 13. 16. Mat. 24. 51. Mic. 6. 8. Psal. 84. 11. Mat 7. 1. Iohn 2. â—9 Mat. 24. Psal. 119. 1. Psal. 32. 2. Pro. 20. 7. Pro. 28. 18. Psal. 140. 13. Mat. 5. 8. Deut. 32. 15 33. 5. 26. Esay 44. 2. Gen. 25. 27. Psal. 24. 4. 6. Psal. 73. 1. Iohn 1. 48. Rom. 2. 28 29. Mat. 24. 51. 1. Thess. 2. 4. 1. Cor. 4. 3. 1. Sam. 15. Mat. 15. 6. Mar. 8. 36. Phil. 3. 19. Mat. 6. 24. Mat. 7. 3. 4. Mar. 6. 20. Psal. 15. 4. Iohn 15. 19. 1. Iohn 3. 14. Luke 13. 15. Mat. 12. 2. 7. Mat. 23. 23 24. Mat. 27. 6. Iohn 18. 28. Mic. 6. 8. Hab. 2. 4 Gen. 18. 27. Esay 6. 5. Iob. 42. 5. 6. Luke 5. 8. Pro. 10. 9. Pro. 28. 1. Esay 33. 14. Pro. 28. 1. Mat. 7. 24. Luke 8. 15. Iam. 1. 8. Hos. 6. 4. Luke 8. 13. Mat. 13. 21. Mat. 7. 26. Iam. 1. 3. 1. Pet. 1. 7. 1. Iohn 4. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luke 1. 6. Psal. 45. 12. Cant. 1. 5. 6. Psal 45. 13. Psal. 51. 6. Gen. 5. 22. 24. Heb. 11. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Prou. 11. 20. Psal. 4. 6. Psal. 73. 1. Psal. 125. 4. 5. Psal. 84. 11. Prou. 2. 7. Prou. 2. 21. Prou. 2. 7. Psal. 7. 10. 2. Chro. 16. 9. Psal. 84. 11. Gen. 22. 18. Luk. 1. 73. 74. 75. Rom. 8. 28. Iob. 13. 15. Eccles. 2. 26. Prou. 15. 15. 2. Cor. 1. 12. 2. King 20. 3. Psal. 97. 11. Rom. 5. 3. 4. 5 Psal. 16. 8. Pro. 28. 18. Psal. 119. 1. Mat. 5. 8. Pro. 20. 7. Psal. 112. 2. Plato 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gen. 7. 1. Gen. 15. 1. Psal. 18. 23 24. 1. King 3. 6. 2. King 20. 3. 5. Gen. 5. 24. Heb. 11. 5. 1. Tim. 1. 5. 2. Tim. 1. 5. Act. 15. 9. Gal. 5. 6. Iam. 2. Rom. 12. 9. 1 Pet. 1. 22. â— Iohn 3. 18. Iam 3. 17. Mat. 10. 16. Iam. 3. 15. Ioâ—l 2. 12. 13. Esay 58. 5. 2. King 22. 19. 1. King 21. 27. Psal. 78. 34. 36. 37. Iam. 1. 27 Mic. 6. 6. 7. Vers. 8. Rom. 12. 1. Iohn 4. 24. 1. Tim. 4. 8. Esay 29. 13. 1 Col. 3. 16. 2 Eph. 6. 18. 3 Psal. 25. 1. 4 Lam. 3. 41. 5 Psal 62. 8. Lam. 2. 19. â— Sam. 1. 15. 6 Psal. 111. 1. 1 Psal. 119. 7. 2 2. Tim 2. 22. 3 Psal. 17. 1. 4 Psa. 145. 18. Hos 7. 13. 14. Psal. 78. 36. Heb. 4. 13. Prou. 15. 11. Psal. 66. 18. Esay1 15. Prou. â—8 9. 2. Cor. 2. 17. 1. Thes 2. 4. Gal. 1. 10. 2. Tim. 2. 15. Eccles. 4. 17. 1. Pet. 2. 1. Luke 8. 18. Act. 10. 33. 2. Cor. 5. 20. 1. Pet. 4. 11. 1. Thess. 2. 13. Act. 8. 6. Luke 19. 48. Heb. 2. 1. Esay 42. 23. Ezec. 33. 31. Luke 8. 15. Pro. 4. 21. Eze. 33. 31 32. Iam. 1. 22. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 8. 21. 23. Mat. 26. 22. Iohn 12. 6. Iohn 6. 70. Esay 66. 3. 2. Chro. 25. 2. 14 Col. 3. 23. Rom. 6. 17. Mat. 5. 20. Mic. 6. 8. Gen. 17. 1. 1. Chron. 28. 〈◊〉 Ios. 24. 14. Deut. 18. 13. Iohn 4. 23 24. Rome 7. 14. Luke 1. 73. 75. Pro. 11. 20. Luke 16. 15. 2. Tim. 3. 5. Mat. â—5 8. Mat. 23. 25. Mat. 23. 27. Mat. 23. 28. Psal. 32. 2. Iohn 1. 47. Esay 58. 2. Psal. 78. 36. 37. Esay 1. 11. c. Mat. 23. 14. Iohn 12. 5 6. 1. King 21. 9. 2. Sam. 15. 8. Mat. 28. 13. 16. In Esay 1â— Iam. 1. 26. Iam. 1. 22. Mat. 7. 26. Mat. 25. 3. Oper. imperf in Matth. Apoc 3. 1. 1. Iohn 2. 1â— Luke 8. 13. Iob. 8. 11 12 13 Eccles. 1. 35. Luke 12. 1 2. Mat. 24. 51. Mat. 5. 8. Iob. 13. 16. Mat. 21. 31. Psal. 16. 8. Psal. 139. 7. Pro. 15. 3. Psal. 139. 2. Epist. 11. in fin Heb. 11. 27. 1. Sam. 16. 7. Prou. 15. 11. 1. Chro. 28. 9. 2. Chron. 16. 9. Pro. 2. 7. Psal. 84. 11. Gen. 17. 1. Rom.